Sten Nilsson

Professor Nilsson was Leader of the Institute of Forest Products Industry Market Studies and Professor in Economic Planning at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. During 1983-84, Professor Nilsson was appointed by the Canadian Government to set up new strategies for the forest sector in Canada. In 1985 he headed two commissions for the Swedish government concerning intensified research in the forest sector in Sweden.

Professor Nilsson joined IIASA in January 1986, becoming Leader of the Forestry Program in 1990. Between 1998 and 2002 he was Counselor to the Director, and was appointed Deputy Director from July 2002 to May 2008. From May to December of 2008, he was Acting Director of IIASA. He currently holds a visiting affiliation with IIASA and can be reached at IIASA nilsson@iiasa.ac.at or at stenbnilsson@gmail,com.

Professor Nilsson has authored and co-authored over 350 scientific publications. An expert on boreal forests and global forest sector analysis, Professor Nilsson is frequently asked to address international meetings and organizations on different issues dealing with the forest sector. He has held a number of consultancies in organizations such as The World Bank, FAO, OECD, European Commission, and SIDA.

Since his retirement from the IIASA management in 2009, Professor Nilsson has been affiliated with numerous organizations, and is also CEO of the consulting firm Forest Sector Insights AB. In particular he has worked as a consultant on the transformation of the forest industry and forest sector for international organizations as well as the forest industry itself. In 2010, he was assigned as an advisor to the Forest Products Association of Canada and the Canadian Government through the Canadian Forest Service with respect to the transformation of the Canadian forest industry to a bio-oriented industry.

Professor Nilsson has also undertaken similar assignments since 2012 with the American forest sector through Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta. In 2012 – 2013, Professor Nilsson worked on behalf of the Cross-Party Committee on Environmental Objectives of the Swedish Parliament to develop a new process for the policy setting in the Swedish forest sector.

In 2014, a major working task in addition to the above is land-use, expanding agriculture and deforestation on behalf of international organizations.

Professor Nilsson is also affiliated with the European Commission and different industries on the bioeconomy-concept.